Keywords

Contents

This volume 5 is the last one of the joint publication of data on the
Parque Los Nevados Transect, Colombian Central Cordillera. It includes
principally chapters on the vegetation, maps and a final chapter that
attempts to join, integrate and compare the data published in volume
1, 3, 4, and 5 of the series Studies on Tropical Andean Ecosystems,
and to differentiate and characterize the zonal ecosystems of the
transect area.

Still in preparation is a broad study on the flora and vegetation of
mosses and liverworts of the three transects through the three
Cordilleras of the Northern Andes (Central, Oriental and
Occidental). That study will be published in one of the next volumes
of this series, that will be dedicated principally to the Cordilleras
Occidental (vol. 6) and Oriental (vol. 7).

We hope that the data presented here and in the other volumes of the
series, will contribute to a better understanding of the Tropical
Andean orobiome, and also be of benefit for conservation of its
ecosystems, vegetation and biodiversity, and for a sustainable (eco-)
development.

This volume is the latest volume of four joint publications concerning
environmental data from the Parque Los Nevados Transect in the Central
Cordillera of Colombia that were obtained in the course of the
Ecoandes project ("Structure, composition and functioning of montane
tropical Andean ecosystems") in Colombia. Initiated by Thomas van der
Hammen in 1977, Ecoandes intends to gain a deeper understanding of the
current structure, composition, ecology and distribution of tropical
montane ecosystems, in turn relating this to paleo-ecological and
socio-economical information available. The present volume comprises
principally data on vegetation and aims to combine and evaluate the
data published in the other volumes of the series named "Studies on
Tropical Andean Ecosystems". It further comprises a differentiation
and characterisation of the zonal ecosystems of the transect area in
the form of a vegetation map. The accompanying CD-ROM provides
complex tables and figures such as several presence and synoptic
tables as well as a detailed pollen diagram.

As little is currently known on the natural composition and
distribution of vegetation types of tropical Andean ecosystems, this
book constitutes an excellent data base for all those who are
interested in South American mountain vegetation and ecology. The
Parque Los Nevados transect crosses the Central Cordillera of the
Colombian Andes in a west-east direction approximately 4 or 5 degrees
north of the equator and is about 150 km long. The 12 chapters are
written in either English or Spanish and accompanied by a summary in
the other language, respectively. All legends of figures, photos and
tables are presented in both languages. The first three chapters
describe the vegetation of the transect along an attitudinal
gradient (paramo vegetation, rain forests as well as equatorial
inter-andean and sub-andean forests), and provide syntaxonomical
classifications as well as the corresponding synoptic tables. Several
photos as well as detailed drawings on the physiognomy and structure
of the vegetation types ease the understanding and conception of the
respective formations. Chapter 4 is a reprint of part of J.
Cuatrecasas' geobotanical observations from 1932 that comprises
information on the study area of the present book. Jose Cuatrecasas
was a Spanish botanist whose research was devoted to the discovery,
classification, biogeography, and ecology of plants of the paramo and
subparamo regions of Andean South America). Chapter 5 contains the
basic information to the accompanying vegetation map, including a
very detailed description of the plant communities, terrain units and
land cover units (Parque National Los Nevados, 1:50.000, highly
detailed legend of land cover, substrate and soil types). Chapter 6
describes the recovery of the paramo vegetation after the 1985
eruption of the Ruiz volcano at an altitude of 3800-4400 m asl, while
chapter 7 discusses the relationship between landforms, deposits and
the current vegetation cover of the same volcano. Specific topics such
as palaeoecological studies, marized format. In addition it attempts
to combine the data on vegetation, soil and climate in the form of
several maps, and identifies the main zonal ecosystems.

The present volume represents a highly valuable, very complete
contribution to the vegetation ecology of South American mountain
ecosystems. However, in my opinion the authors should have refrained
from using such a detailed syntaxonomical classification because the
Colombian Central Cordillera is still poorly studied and no adequate
and comparable database exists for this region so far. A non-formal
classification of vegetation types would have been equally valuable,
and would not present future scientists with a confect of
nomenclature. In addition, an introduction chapter providing the
reader with a general overview of the main aims of the project
Ecoandes as well as a summary of the already published volumes of the
series "Studies on Tropical Andean Ecosystems" would have facilitated
a wider comprehension of the general context. The accompanying map of
the Parque los Nevados transect should have been provided with a minor
scaled map showing its broader localisation in Colombia, and the
literature cited could have been updated. However, a strength of the
book lies in the innumerable illustrative black-and-white
photographs, most of which are of high quality, as well as many
detailed drawings of vegetation units including the names of the
prominent species. The quality of a few figures (e.g. Fig. 19, 51,
60-64, 67-70) could have been improved upon before printing.

Despite the slight criticism, the present volume synthesises an
impressive amount of information remarkably well and provides a very
sound basis for future research. Given the rich design of the book and
the solid quality of the hardcover binding, the price - albeit rather
expensive - is reasonable. Due to the study region, the book would
gain the Interest of a narrow readership, but should nonetheless be at
disposal in every library oriented towards South American mountain
ecology.